A. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"
(John 8:31,32). Real knowledge is the source of freedom.
B. In this matter of joy in trials, there can be no joy apart from
the actual knowledge of the source and purpose of those trials. The source is a loving
God, the purpose is a particular attribute of Christ--patience. To the extent that we
either don't know or that we forget that God is the source of everything in our lives, to
that extent we can not know joy in trials. And to the extent that we don't know that the
trials from God are for our good, to that extent we lose confidence in God and make Him
out as an ogre whose only purpose is to torture us. This leads to stocism ("Whatever
will be will be.") or emotional longings for deliverance ("I'm just bearing my
cross, waiting to leave this weary world and go to Heaven.").
II. The trial of your faith
A. Make no mistake! It is our faith that is being tried. It is not
simply our patience or our emotions, it is our faith. We know that "the just shall
live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17). Faith is the most foundational of all
Christian graces (2 Peter 1:5), and the one that is most severely attacked (Luke 22:31,32;
1 Peter 5:8,9). We may not be mature without the other Christian graces, but we cannot
live without faith. We should expect it to be most sorely tried.
B. The trial of our faith is not in a direct frontal attack, but in
more subtle ways. If we were challenged as to what we believe, we could clearly see the
attack and stand against it. But the trial is usually in some other
"non-religious" things; i.e., a car, money, sickness, etc. But these sneak
attacks are nevertheless trials having to do with our faith. And this shows that our faith
is not to be divorced from our day-to-day life, but rather that faith is concerned with
practical living.
C. And it is a trial. Nothing here implies that if we have enough
faith, there will be no trials. It is purposed by God as a test, or examination, of our
faith. Not for His benefit--He already knows our hearts. No test is for the benefit of the
teacher, but for the benefit of the student. God wants us to be made acutely aware of our
needs and frailities. Just when we think we are strong, we are tested and we realize the
smallness of our genuine confidence in God. When we think we have learned that God really
loves us and has only our best interests in view, He tries us and we respond by doubting
Him, and sometimes by expressing anger toward Him.
III. Works patience
A. Trials have this effect in the lives of those who have genuine
faith, but certainly not in those who are either pretending or deluded (Matthew 7:24ff).
If our faith survives, we should rejoice that it is genuine. Impatience is the result of
trials in the lives of unbelievers.
B. Patience here is a word meaning something like "continuing
in confidence." The work being done in our lives is a growth from the attitude of
simply enduring to one of remaining confident and assured of God's goodness even in the
midst of trials. This joyful confidence is the assurance that our faith is genuine. See
Hebrews 3:6,14; 10:35,36.
C. This is a continuing work. As we grow, the tests get harder. We
can never arrive at a point where we expect not to be tested until we have perfectly
conformed to Christ's image. (We must be careful not to look at others being tested and
think that they are making too much of what appears a simple problem. A test of the ABC's
is hard for a kindergarten student.)
D. This is a work toward a specific goal. What to us may appear as
random trials at random times for no discernible purpose are to God a definite means of
accomplishing a particular goal--that we learn patience, or, more properly, continuing,
unwavering confidence in God. We must never lose sight of the fact that the trials are
within God's purpose, allowed for a particular end, and timed by His sovereign control.
God wants us to be, as we will see next week, mature, complete, well-rounded Believers.